If you ever ask Google whether your business needs an app, you’ll get an avalanche of articles and blog posts trying to convince you that it’s an absolute necessity in this day and age. But you can’t help but wonder. Is it really the case?
Well, many of those articles can be biased. The reality is that not every business out there needs an app to attain its financial goals and keep growing. For some, app development can even do more harm than good.
How would you know what would rather be the case for your venture? Take a look at these seven reasons why your business doesn’t need an app right now, as per EssayPro experts. If at least one of them hits close to home, it’s a sign you should reconsider your app development aspirations.
Your App Wouldn’t Offer an Outstanding Added Value
Let’s face it: customers are tired of apps. Almost any business out there is trying to get them to install their app. The app market is simply oversaturated.
There are 3.79 million non-gaming apps on the App Store. Google Play Store has 2.65 million apps in its turn. And each and every one of them is trying to capture the users’ attention.
That doesn’t mean no app should be developed ever again. But in this cutthroat competition, you have to be frank with yourself. Here are the three questions you need to have concrete answers to:
- How would it make your customers’ lives easier?
- How would your app stand out, exactly?
- What can it offer that a mobile-friendly website can’t? (Integrations with hardware or other apps, for example.)
Let’s take the EssayPro official app as an example. It speeds up the whole customer journey, from placing an order to communicating with writers. Thus, it serves a clear purpose – the purpose of making users’ lives easier, of course.
You Want an App “Just Because”
Another hard question you have to ask yourself is, why do you really want an app for your business? That’s because, chances are, you’re just afraid to miss out on this ‘opportunity.’ And this fear of missing out is being leveraged by yes-men.
App development is an investment – and a big one at that. Ergo, it has to pay off. How? Through boosting your sales, of course. This has to be your primary aim – and the app’s purpose.
So, if you can’t say exactly how getting an app would improve your sales, with estimations and all, it’s too early for you to go through with this idea. You must have a clear vision of not just that but also how much money it can bring in. Otherwise, how would you be able to estimate the cost efficiency of this project?
You Already Have a Knockout Mobile-Friendly Website
One of the most common mistakes is creating an app that duplicates the features of the website. In other words, it’s the website’s functionality wrapped in a mobile app.
In this case, there’s no added value for users. Why would they install an app if they can keep using your website?
Of course, sometimes, your website isn’t as mobile-friendly and interactive as users would love it to be. But improving it wouldn’t cost you as much as developing an app from scratch, for one. What’s more, your website is cross-platform by default – but with apps, you’d have to choose the platform and the type of app (native, cross-platform, hybrid).
So, if all the features your customers might need to have an outstanding customer journey can be implemented on your website, go for it! It’ll cost you less – and your customers will be happier, too.
Your Business Doesn’t Rely on Repeat Customers
Apps are great for boosting sales through customer retention; that’s their primary purpose in most cases. But not all businesses depend on repeat customers that much – and yours might be one of them.
Consider plastic surgery. Most clients will come to a plastic surgeon once in their lifetime. And when the surgery is done, they’ll have no incentive to keep your app on their phone.
So, take a look at your customer and sales history. What’s the share of repeat customers in your sales? And is it completely natural in your industry? If repeat customers aren’t the cornerstone of your business model, chances are that getting an app will simply be a waste of money.
Your Business Simply Can’t Afford It
Don’t worry if you realize this is true: enterprises that can afford quality app development are fewer than you might think. And you will want to invest in quality if you ever venture into this territory. If you try to go low-cost, prepare to have the suboptimal work of beginner developers representing your brand.
Quality app development has plenty of intrinsic costs. You have to pay for the coders’ work, yes. But you also need testers, UI/UX designers, and a project manager on the team. And on top of that, before you even get on with the prototyping stage, you’ll have to spend tons of money on market and audience research.
So, take a sobering look at your business’s financial situation. Does it have the operational income for this endeavor? Or would it be too huge of an investment for now?
It’ll Cost You Too Much in the Long Run
Many forget that getting an app for your business isn’t a one-time expense, albeit huge. You’ll need people supporting and updating it; that costs money. You’ll also need to host it and all of its data somewhere – and that’s not free either.
So, when you calculate the cost efficiency of getting an app for your business, you’ll have to consider these long-term fixed and variable costs. But don’t consider them in a vacuum, of course: juxtapose them with the expected revenue brought in by the app.
How does it look in the long run? Would the ROI cover your initial and continuous expenses? Or are you bound for a loss?
You Don’t Have the Means to Promote It
The marketing budget can easily rival your app’s development costs. After all, you’ll need the help of the masters of their craft. Without them, you won’t be able to hit that sweet spot to get your existing and prospective customers to install your app. And what good is an app that few will install?
Contrary to what you might believe, promoting an app isn’t only about telling every customer you already have, “Look, we have an app now!” You have to sell them on the idea of installing it, and crafting that message takes a lot of work.
So, do you have sufficient resources for all of that, financial and human? If you don’t, it’s best to put off this idea till better times.
In Conclusion
Don’t get all of this wrong: apps do have tremendous potential to boost your bottom line. But getting one isn’t for all businesses. For some, it can be a great way to boost sales and speed up growth. For others, it’ll be nothing but a waste of time, money, and effort.
So, you have to be blatantly honest with yourself as to whether your venture truly needs an app. If you’re not, you risk making a fateful mistake that might even sink your business in the long run.
